League of Legends player turned back by US border control
A German League of Legends player was searched, detained and turned back by US border control on his way to an eSports tournament in California, an experience he has described as the worst in his life.
Marcel Feldkamp, better known as Counter Logic Gaming's jungler Dexter, tweeted his grim experience of being denied entry to the US.
"Just had the worst traveling experience ever. Two flights delayed and luggage lost and I'm getting searched? Hope I wont have to spend the night," he wrote.
"Visa got cancelled. On my way home again for nothing," he added later. "I also had the pleasure to spend a night in a cell. F**k my Life."
"Literally the worst experience in my life. Homeland security doesn't f**k around."
Although the US has expanded athlete visas to include eSports players, Feldkamp is waiting on approval, and entered the country legally on a waiver, Counter Logic Gaming said in a statement published by OnGamer.
"He had documentation to come to the US legally through a visa waiver, but was still denied access to an extent and for reasons still unknown," the group said.
"Dexter is not an employee or contracted to CLG in any way. He has not been paid by the company or any of its employees, partners, or affiliates. We assume he was turned away due to the assumption he was attempting to enter the US and obtain work illegally, so this ruling greatly disappoints us if it is in fact true
CLG later said on Twitter that Feldkamp would indeed be barred from re-entry until his visa is approved.
The US is pretty severe on people fibbing about why they're visiting; there are plenty of horror stories of game journalists neglecting to acquire a working visa and being turned away ahead of E3 after telling border security they're in the country to cover an event.